Hi Phil,
I'd like to expand a bit on your observation, which I happen to agree with, incidentally. You stated:
>>What I meant by "focus on local model" was that last I heard, LVLT was going to do the fiber ring thing around 30 or so cities as well as have their QWST-like intercity fiber. I don't recall QWST having plans to do the local rings.<<
Actually, LVLT's ambitions and stated goals are focused a lot more on the local markets than simply running rings around them. Their engineering folks are looking at implementing a mostly IP-based model that first, emulates the capabilities and features of the ILECs, and then, surpasses them, only in a mode that is based primarily on Internet Protocols.
This means that they are actively pursuing the introduction of back office operations support systems (OSSes), and the Telecommunications Management Network model (TMN) being promoted by the Network Management Forum, in conjunction with the ITU and ANSI, in a manner that would seamlessly introduce IP services of all kinds, including voice, to local users.
While they pursue this undertaking of achieving compatibility with the ANSI and ITU defined networking principles, they are at the same time riding a thin line by keeping within the scriptures of the IETF IP protocols, as well.
In fact, this is part of the motivation of their unveiling a new set of IP Device Control (IPDC) Draft Recommendations the other day, along with a host of other players, which spells out a suite of new protocols that will make much of this possible, it is hoped.
This is all very exciting stuff and very admirable from my point of view, and will probably cost them plenty in time and sweat, but there is no other way to "break on through to the other side" without addressing the local markets in this way. And that's what they are doing in the local model in a way that transcends anything that QWST may be doing at this time.
QWST, on the other hand, is using brute force, in comparative terms, in expanding its fiber capacity in the WAN. Of course, that should not be construed as taking anything away from QWST's other initiatives, but they are putting a disproportionate amount of effort into their creation of wavelengths, in comparison to the work being done for local market penetration by LVLT, IMHO.
These, I perceive, are the complementary and contrasting set of qualities that each possesses at this time, and which I feel could be used as justification for thinking about a marriage between the two right now. Later on, it could be too late, since each will have gone ahead with their own variations of technologies, and mending the differences between the two at that time could become too arduous a task.
Regards, Frank C.
|
